The House of Mirth
by Edith Wharton

The House of Mirth: Genre 1 key example

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

The House of Mirth is a canonical book in the genre of social satire. Wharton employs, wit, humor, and sharp societal observations to critique the norms of the early 20th-century New York upper class. She exposes the hypocrisies of upper-crust culture and society, especially the constraints placed on women and the shallowness of the pursuits of the wealthy. By portraying her characters as obsessed with the minutiae of superficial conversations and their vying for social status, Wharton makes an incisive commentary on the emptiness and pretensions of the moneyed set.